The Times

Friday March 24 2000

Scenes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from film footage, now bought by a group of American Beatles fans, in which support for the Black Power activist Michael X is discussed.

Film Shows Lennon's Mind Games

From Damian Whitworth in Washington

It is February 1970, the Beatles are just a couple of months away from breaking up, and John Lennon's mind is full of many things.

What can he do to help the drug-dealing Black Power leader with whom he is smoking what appears to be hashish? Should he try to "con" his record company into building him an ornamental lake? How about finding a way to put LSD in President Nixon's tea?

The private life of John Lennon is revealed in more than nine hours of black-and-white footage that has come to light 30 years after it was shot by Yoko Ono's ex-husband, Tony Cox. The tapes have been sold to a consortium of US Beatles collectors who hope to turn them into a documentary.

According to Mr. Cox, several scenes focus on Lennon and Ono's visit to the Black House, a centre run by Michael X, a Trinidadian counterpart of Malcolm X who was later executed for murder. The couple shoot a promotional film for the Black House and then "smoke hashish with Michael X". John asks: "Is the front door locked? Most important." Michael X reassures him and explains how his group decided that drugs we're a more valuable commodity than money and speaks of playing "rough games, fighting games" to establish their bank.

The script describes Yoko as "stoned" and "John snaps at Yoko: 'As usual she doesn't know what we're talking about.' John is handed a joint and launches into a long rap about contracts, continuing to hog the joint. Finally Yoko nudges him to get the joint."

How Ono will react to scenes such as this will determine the future of the film. She must sign a release if it is ever to be made public.

Ray Thomas, a member of the consortium that is believed to have spent $1 million (£625,000) on buying the tape, said he had asked her to be executive producer but had not had a response. Many scenes show her to be a very intelligent and articulate woman".

In a more intimate scene, Lennon is perched on the edge of the bed, humming and strumming, trying to pick out a tune that would eventually become the song Mind Games. His wife is tucked up under the covers, apparently sleeping. In another they are in bed talking about her new hair style. "It took years off her," says Lennon. "She was an old bag when I got her." They discuss whether he should pay for a new lake at his Tittenhurst Park estate in Surrey , or consider "conning Apple again".

In an interview with an underground newspaper, the couple talks about infiltrating governments and Nixon's White House in particular. On a tour of London sights, Lennon gives vulgar names to landmarks such as Nelson's Column and refers to piles of rubbish in the streets as "Prince Philip's mess".

Mr Cox initially remained friendly with Ono after their divorce and the film was shot over four days while staying with her and Lennon in Surrey . They later had a bitter custody battle over their daughter, Kyoko. Ono won, but Mr Cox disappeared with the girl, and mother and daughter we're only recently reunited.

"These provocative and historic films capture John's creative genius in his most intimate surroundings, the couple's behavior together, interaction with their two children – Julian and Kyoko – strong opinions about drugs, politics, communism, music and plans for manipulating the critics, reviewers and the general press," Mr Thomas said.